One arrested in Friday morning SWAT, narcotics raid

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Another search warrant executed by the Conway Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team, along with Narcotics Division, has resulted in the arrest of one Conway man, a department spokesperson said.

La Tresha Woodruff said LeMarcus Ester, 28, is in custody as result of a search warrant executed Friday morning at 424 S. Davis St.

According to court documents, Ester is charged with maintaining a drug premises, a class B felony, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deal, a class C felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class D felony.

Ester is scheduled for arraignment at 9 a.m. Feb. 24 in Faulkner County Circuit Court. Ester’s first appearance was held Friday afternoon. According to the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office website, Ester is being held in lieu of a $15,000 bond.

Police said approximately five ounces of marijuana, digital scales, baggies and paraphernalia was found in the residence.

SWAT and narcotics also executed a search warrant Thursday afternoon at 417 Helen St. Police said at least one person, whose name has not been released, was arrested as result of the raid.

As of Friday afternoon, Woodruff said no new information could be released. Police did not indicate if the two search warrants were related.

(Staff writer Lee Hogan can be reached by email at lee.hogan@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1246. Follow Lee Hogan on Twitter at twitter.com/LCD_LeeHogan.)

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So the SWAT Team took five ounces of marijuana off the market, temporarily raised the price slightly for recreational users and allowed the taxpayers the privilege of feeding and housing one more nobody. One change in the law and this little drug dealer becomes a small business owner, paying taxes and showing up at the Chamber of Commerce dinner. What a waste.

I get that it is still technically illegal, but the SWAT team??? Meanwhile in some woods somewhere or a trailer in a field there is probably some Meth being cooked up as we speak. Lachowsj hit the nail squarely on the head. It is just a matter of a very few years and this won't even be an issue, but we will still have people walking around with sores on their faces, talking to themselves, geek-ed out in Wal Mart. Or a drunk driving down the hill of the VFW on his way home passing families innocently on their way to the movies or something. Priorities please. Oh. Wait. Alcohol is legal.

Edit: You guys are right regarding the SWAT team, I guess whenever I see SWAT, I instantly have pictures in my head of hostage filled bank heists etc. Thanks movies, for clouding my thinking. :)

SWAT teams are used to secure a location (in this case a residence) where a search warrant has been signed by a judge. A SWAT team's only purpose is to secure a residence because drugs and weapons go hand and hand. There are countless reports of officers getting shot and killed dealing with drug dealers who do not wish to go to/back to prison. SWAT teams are highly trained in this area and that is why they are used.

Take the information however you want it. Just trying to shed some light.

SWAT goes in because even a small-time dealer doesn't want to go to prison and is considered likely to use violence to ensure that doesn't happen.

It does seem a shame that people are losing their lives and liberties over a plant. Marijuana is a ticket to prison, yet doctors injecting and prescribing to us any manner of poison is not only allowed, but millions of dollars are spent telling us we should feel guilty for opting out of them. And alcohol is still legal. Anybody check the stats on alcohol-related crimes and deaths lately? Compare those with the crimes and deaths that occur as a direct result of consuming marijuana.

I'm not one of those guys that thinks would should become like every other country, but in this case, we would serve ourselves well if we patterned our drug policies after Portugal's.

Do you mean like someone would consider killing an officer or getting killed over 5 measly ounces of pot. Stupidity of people amuses me. Why are you not spending the time your wasting catching some one smoking something that will be legal sooner than later on hunting down perverts after our children and wives. Looking for killers. How many unsolved murders do we have in the last ten years. There are lots of things like brake ins, Robberies, drunks on the road, and so many more crimes that could use the time. It's a shame we can't pull our tax dollars back if we don't like the way it's wasted. See you at the polls. I think this county is ready for a change.

"Increasingly frequent raids, 40,000 per year by one estimate, are needlessly subjecting nonviolent drug offenders, bystanders, and wrongly targeted civilians to the terror of having their homes invaded while they’re sleeping, usually by teams of heavily armed paramilitary units dressed not as police officers but as soldiers." -- CATO Institute